George Smith, who once scored four times for Manchester City in a derby rout of Manchester United, died just five days before the passing of his friend and team-mate Bert Trautmann. Like the celebrated German goalkeeper, the 92-year-old's story was one of triumph over adversity inflicted by the Second World War: Smith became a prolific goalscorer despite a shocking injury sustained under "friendly fire" while serving in East Africa.

The City of Johannesburg has apologised to Nelson Mandela and his family for mistakenly posting a non-payment notice on the former South African president's house threatening to cut his electricity off.

It is a pity that Nelson Mandela’s illness has stopped America’s first black President from meeting the first black President of South Africa, not least because such a meeting would have brought home the great transformation that has occurred in both countries.